Our volunteers work their tails off for Furkids!

They consistently go above and beyond to save the lives of homeless cats and dogs. This month, we shine a special Volunteer Spotlight on Dana Young: a Furkids cat mom who volunteered with Furkids for the last 8 months!

Much like many of us, when the coronavirus pandemic altered Dana’s world and introduced an unprecedented amount of isolation, a neighbor helped lead Dana to the joys of volunteering at Furkids so she could interact with our animals. Since that moment in October 2020, Dana has fostered/ adopted two Furkids kitties, helped make over the Perimeter PetSmart adoption center, and helped countless rescues socialize and come out of their shells. Meet this dedicated volunteer and Furkids cat mama!

Why did you choose Furkids to volunteer?

I have always loved animals and helping others. During 2020, I found myself feeling very isolated and not able to interact with humans and other beings as much as I would have liked.  I wanted to do something that would not only help me get out and about, but would help others as best I could. My friend Anitha had a kitten that she was fostering through Furkids and needed a bit of help with. That kitten ended up being my foster kitty and then quickly my forever kitty. I loved what Anitha told me about Furkids, so I signed up on the website in October!

How long did you volunteer at Furkids?

I started volunteering in October of 2020.

How many hours per week do you volunteer?

There were times when I would go visit the kitties at Perimeter PetSmart on an almost daily basis, but overall my hours varied. On most Saturday and Sunday mornings, I would go in for at least 3-4 hours for my shift and the time just flew by with cleaning, socializing, meeting potential adopters, and just having fun with the kitties.

Where and how do you primarily volunteer?

I volunteer at Perimeter PetSmart with Kathy's team!  Also fostered one of our kitties (Dora) that had dental issues for a few months - and now she is my second forever kitty.

What do you like most about volunteering? Fostering?

EVERYTHING! It was the highlight of my day most days. I loved trying to help the shy kitties come out of their shell, seeing potential adopters come by and meet the kitties, talking back to our sassier kitties and especially taking pictures of all the babies - trying to get their personalities to shine through in the images in hopes that it helps get them adopted!

For fostering - I only did that 2 times and "failed" on both attempts.  The first was with the kitten that started it all (Dainty - now ReyRey)... she was sassy and fearless and my dogs fell in love with that little 2lb rascal.

Which cat is your favorite and why?

Awww so many.  But a few that stand out are:

Lily Pad - this girl is beautiful with her green green eyes - this girl was sassy, but at the same time loving. She recently got adopted and it was probably one of the happiest days for us - knowing that she is in a loving home.

Sammy - She would let you love her on her time and was just a beautiful girl.  She ended up going up to Petco for a few weeks. She too found her forever home - and that is one that the whole team celebrated.

Piper was one of our shy girls that were very hesitant to come out of her cage... it took a long time to build her trust and get her to explore.  Little by little she did and when she started interacting with toys and us, that made my heart happy.   When her owner came into visit and met Piper for the first time, she said "This is my cat - I just feel it" and she was right. 

Ori is still at Perimeter PetSmart - she reminds me a lot of Piper, that shy, needs to build trust kitty.  She tugged at my heart and just wanted her to feel safe and secure.

What would you like people to know most about Furkids?

The structure and support that they provide is amazing. From Terri sending out foster requests, to Leslie scheduling all medical visits, to the volunteer and foster pages on Facebook - it is the total package. They truly care about doing what is best for the kitties and making sure that everyone is aware of what is going on.

What do you do when you are not volunteering with Furkids? 

I work at a company called OnSolve doing their Sales Enablement (sales training, communication, and strategy).  Most of my career has been based around training - either at the corporate level or working with children. Now, if I win the lotto - would love for volunteering to be my full-time gig!

Do you have pets? If so, could you briefly describe them to us? 

I now have four amazing babies! First is Bowman(Bo) Jackson, a handsome golden/collie mix that was a rescue baby from Releashed Rescue. Second is Tillman(Tilly) Belle, my sweet sensitive little beagle/boxer mix with brindle fur and white go-go boots!  She is a rescue from the Humane Society. The third is ReyRey McCray (formerly known as Dainty), my spunky little grey tabby kitty. I adopted her when she was two pounds and now she is full grown and just beautiful. And fourth, Dora! She is the most recent addition to our family. She’s a kitty that loves soaking up the sun in the windows and staring down the bugs/lizards that crawl outside the window teasing her.